One youth sports organization expressed concern Tuesday night after the Lafayette City-Parish Council introduced an ordinance transferring ownership of Youngsville's Foster Park from the Lafayette Consolidated Government to the City of Youngsville.

Softball coordinator Randy Reed of the Broussard Youngsville Youth Association addressed the council after learning a portion of Foster Park would be handed over to Green T. Lindon Elementary School. If the BYYA was limited or restricted from accessing this park, Reed said, the 1,400-member group would be in dire straits.

“We’re already forced to run it pretty tight," he said.

Reed added that Broussard's Arceneaux Park would not accommodate the more than 40 baseball, softball, T-ball and football teams who play in Foster Park, where the BYYA is already limited because there's no lights for night games.

The portion not adopted by Green T. Lindon is required to be maintained as a park, said Lafayette City Attorney Mike Hebert.

Parks and Recreation Director Greg Gautreaux said LCG still pays for and maintains the park, although it's used by Youngsville taxpayers. Lafayette City-Parish President Joey Durel said the ordinance is one like several already adopted that turns over park ownership to their respective cities.

Although the Council unanimously approved the introductory ordinance, Council Member William Theriot, District 9, suggested a future amendment that would assure BYYA access to this park until they discover whether Youngsville's under-construction sports complex will house the teams.

In other council matters, Durel proclaimed Sept. 7, 2013, as Danielle Wright Day when her family stood before the council tonight. The family said they're hopeful Wright and the six others missing in the South Pacific will be recovered, referencing cases in which families survived lost at sea for up to 90 days off rainwater and fish.

Wright's family expressed thanks for Acadiana's support during a Sept. 7 fundraiser at the Blackham Coliseum, which earned proceeds for rescue pilots to continue aerial searches of the Pacific Ocean. The search area has been narrowed down to the size of Texas.

Also tonight, police officers Dustin Lavergne and Kyle Jones received the Paul Benoit Memorial Safety Award for their efforts to save a man who drowned in Moore Park in May.